Our Musical Titans

Chapter 2

A full week had passed which brought an end to the winter holidays. Raven eyed the enormous school building that stretched wide in both directions. Students continued to arrive on campus and Raven could only catch half of what was being discussed between her new peers. Arella kept a brisk pace while weaving through the crowd of adolescents and was determined to be on time herself at her new job location.

"Did you finish the reading homework?"

"...so? Hey Vic, pass the ball."

The crowd seemed to thin out the closer the two drew to the main school building. Arella held open the heavy glass door and ushered her daughter in quickly. The front office was quiet aside from the clicking of computer keys and staff members talking to one another. In fact, the entire office was empty of any students which included the student office assistants. The hallway outside of the office was filled with even more students horsing around and waiting for their teachers to open locked classroom doors.

"Good Morning." An African woman looked up from her computer to greet them, "What can I do for you?"

Arella stepped forward to the large counter in the center of the room, "We're here to speak with Mrs. Rogue."

"She'll be down this hallway and it's the very last office on your left."

"Thank you." Arella resumed her lead and Raven reluctantly followed although she should have been accustomed to the process of changing schools.

Sure enough, sitting behind the solid oak desk was the woman in question. Her black hair was styled in a short bob cut and her bright red lipstick had been carefully applied. She even wore a bright red pea coat dress with black buttons on either which suited the chilly weather outside. It wasn't until Arella lightly knocked on the door that the woman looked up.

"Please, come in." The woman gave a miniscule smile and straightened her stack of papers. "I have been waiting for your arrival Ms. Roth."

Raven stepped further into the room and pulled out the dark blue arm chair and took a seat. Arella did the same and politely shook hands with the woman across from her. Raven took the chance to silently observe the room while her mother took care of business. On the oak desk a glass plaque read, 'Laura De Mille-Rogue' with the words principal visible underneath the long name. On the far wall, various college degrees were framed on the wall along with inspiration quotes. A miniature Eifel tower even sat beside her personal printer that had to have been no taller than five inches. Everything in the office looked the exact same as any other principal's office although arranged quite differently.

"The last thing we need from you is her immunization records." Principal Rogue's* voice held a thick French accent that wasn't all too common to hear. She then turned to the large white and bulky computer on her desk.

Arella handed over the important documents, "Was it possible to have Raven in any honors courses?"

"English was the only available class." Principal Rogue typed several buttons until the sound of the printer behind her started up. "It is, how do you say? Difficult to arrange all of her classes in the middle of the school year."

Arella nodded with understanding, "And next year?"

"I will do my best to have Raven in the classes she needs." The principal then stood up from her desk and collected the sheet of printed paper. "Especially if the classes you are in now are too easy. I will go ahead and show you the rest of the school, yes?"

Raven nodded her head once, stood up and turned to follow the red clad woman out of the door. She stared at the glossy white tiled flooring in the hallway and could only hope that the day would pass quickly. The sound of the bell rang through the intercom and during the short meeting with the principal the hallways were sparse with some students already late to homeroom.